7 Horror Games That Don’t Look Like Horror Games

Have you ever enjoyed a game with adorable, cartoonish graphics, unaware that it was a horror tale? That could be considered the most intriguing category of video games. These are moments where you’re taken by surprise. They make you think you’re playing an action game or something similar. However, as you delve deeper into the game, you realize that you are the one being pursued.

If you’re fond of horror games that play with your expectations, here’s a list of seven titles you might want to explore. They range from charming anime settings where a killer is on the prowl, to eerie underwater simulations teeming with hidden threats. These games will have you questioning what’s really scary!

Omori

Sunny is a hikikomori, someone who isolates themselves from society. He’s created an entire imaginary world within his mind, known as “Headspace,” where he lives out his days as Omori, a character he’s invented. In this game, you take on the role of controlling Omori and his group of friends as they traverse this dream world. As you journey through, you encounter and deal with Sunny’s fears and memories. Your choices during gameplay will also impact the final outcome.

The fundamental idea behind Omori appears cheerful due to its vibrant pixel art and hand-drawn images. However, as you delve deeper into gameplay, elements of unsettling psychological horror subtly seep into the storyline. At first, it seems like a typical pixelated turn-based RPG. Yet, as the narrative unfolds, eerie visual and auditory hints build an ominous ambiance. Eventually, unexpected plot twists will make you question your initial optimistic assumptions.

Subnautica

In the game called Subnautica, you find yourself stranded on a mysterious ocean planet after a crash landing. Your mission is to scavenge resources, build a base, and stay alive. The game offers immersive underwater exploration, base-construction mechanics, and battles against marine creatures that pose a threat. Additionally, there’s a captivating storyline that unfolds as you complete certain tasks.

Under the moniker Subnautica, this game is categorized as a survival simulator. Yet, its environment can be quite chilling at times, evoking a sense of solitude and dread. Picture yourself stranded on an alien planet, where plunging into the ocean envelops you in endless darkness. At any given moment, colossal alien sharks could lunge out to swallow you whole. The sheer size of the ocean and your isolation instill a pervasive feeling of discomfort and apprehension towards the unknown. It’s this underlying tension that makes it truly terrifying.

Fundamentally, the game “Subnautica” is about survival and exploration set in an aquatic world. However, due to the presence of threatening creatures lurking in the deep, dark waters, there’s always an unsettling sense of danger. This psychological tension is so potent that you might perceive it as a horror game rather than a typical survival or exploration title.

MiSide

MiSide, contrary to appearances, is a psychological horror game. Its adorable anime aesthetics and gentle voiceovers are actually clever deceptions leading up to one of the most shocking twists in gaming history. Initially, the narrative follows the protagonist engaging with a social simulation game named MiSide. After a few days, they’re mysteriously transported into the game world and encounter Mita, a character from MiSide, face-to-face.

As time passes, you notice that Mita is kind and considerate towards you. However, odd sounds start to echo, possibly signals for aid. Mita’s behavior also becomes peculiar. Soon after, players come across another version of Mita named Compassionate Mita. Compassionate Mita clarifies that the Mita you interacted with is the deranged and violent Mita, a serial killer. You are required to reset her core.

As the true narrative unfolds, Crazy Mita strategically sets out to oust the player. MiSide, at first appearing as a charming anime game, unexpectedly transforms into a thrilling survival simulation. The alluring art style serves as an initial lure, but once captivated, the suspenseful cat-and-mouse plotline with you as the prey will keep you on tenterhooks.

Little Misfortune

Eight-year-old Misfortune Ramirez Hernandez dwells in a home marked by abuse. On a fateful day, an unfamiliar voice predicts her demise for that very same day and entices her to engage in a game where she could secure eternal bliss. Amidst her dire circumstances, Misfortune consents to partake in this game, venturing forth on a voyage guided by the voice’s instructions, and gaining insights into life along the way.

As I delve deeper into the narrative of Little Misfortune, I’m introduced to unsettling themes such as death, drug abuse, and other dark subjects that are far beyond my eight-year-old understanding. The atmosphere is often eerie, populated by strange, chilling characters. At times, the visuals become downright terrifying, setting the stage for moments of high tension that leave me on edge in anticipation of a shock.

Contrary to its scrapbook-like, playful appearance, Little Misfortune is anything but lighthearted. The art style, coupled with Misfortune being a young girl, seems too innocent at first glance. However, once I begin playing the game, I quickly understand that this innocence is merely a facade, and the disturbing undertones are all too real.

Doki Doki Literature Club!

In this story, you find yourself invited by a friend named Sayori to participate in the school’s literary club. Upon joining, you encounter a group of captivating ladies, namely Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika. Initially, the group sticks to its routine of reading books and writing poetry. However, things soon heat up as you find yourself in some tense situations with the characters and are encouraged to express your feelings towards any of them. But then, an unsettling twist unfolds. The game begins to shatter the boundaries between reality and fiction, the characters behave erratically, a tragic event like a suicide takes place, and numerous other disturbing scenes follow.

At first glance, Doki Doki Literature Club! seems like a cheerful dating simulator. However, beneath its adorable exterior lies an incredibly intense psychological visual novel. The narrative is deeply troubling and offers multiple storylines where your choices determine the outcome. Unfortunately, many of these endings are as somber as they come. Despite its charming anime aesthetics, Doki Doki Literature Club! is a chilling horror game that will leave you feeling unsettled.

Don’t Starve

As a gamer, I’d put it this way: “In the world of ‘Don’t Starve’, I find myself in a 2D survival journey brimming with action, adventure, and intriguing themes. It’s not your typical horror game, but there’s an undeniable creepy factor that makes you question its genre. From spiders and giant frogs to the ominous one-eyed monstrosities that inhabit The Constant world, every step I take could lead to a heart-pounding encounter.

What makes Don’t Starve uniquely appealing is its distinctive art style reminiscent of Tim Burton. The artwork consistently portrays a gloomy, dark, and unsettling atmosphere, with certain areas being dimly lit or overrun by spider dens. In addition to the ominous environment, there are also hunger, health, and sanity meters that track your character’s condition. As these gauges decrease, they experience starvation symptoms and hallucinations. Shadowy monster figures appear on-screen, turning an initially cartoony game into a terrifying ordeal. Among all adventure-survival games, Don’t Starve stands out for managing to be both whimsical and spine-tingling.

Bendy and the Ink Machine

A peculiar letter lures retired animator Henry Stein back to his former work environment. Upon his return, he observes that the premises are plagued by strange supernatural occurrences. It’s later revealed that an enigmatic device called The Ink Machine is responsible for these eerie events. This machine breeds ink monsters and reanimates Stein’s old cartoon characters in a most unsettling manner.

As you step foot into the building, Bendy and the Ink Machine seems to be a story-driven adventure game with retro aesthetics. The cartoon-like children’s illustrations are visually appealing. However, when you encounter their flesh-and-blood, bloodthirsty counterparts, that’s when things take a sinister turn. Some of the ink creatures flaunt wide grins, while others are downright chilling to behold. Bendy and the Ink Machine offers plenty of action and puzzle-solving. Given its high number of jump scares, eerie plotline, and terrifying enemy designs, it could easily be categorized as a horror game.

2025-07-08 21:41